Shatter Me
by Kristaon
Summary: Mirrors can be a bit of a strange thing. They only ever show exactly what is placed in front of them and nothing more, never going beyond the surface of the reflection. However, the reflection itself is an entirely different story. mAU. White Rose with complementary Bumbleby.
1. Reflecting

**A/N:** Oh boy. The first time taking a shot at writing a RWBY fic. Updates will come... whenever. They tend to be a bit sporadic, but they'll happen. Big thanks to anonofthecentury (Tumblr) for quality assurance and whatnot.

Let me know what you think! Enjoy!

* * *

Mirrors can be a bit of a strange thing. They only ever show exactly what is placed in front of them and nothing more. A clear reflection, just as is. In front of this particular mirror stood Weiss Schnee, eyes cast downward as she ran her slender hands through her long, ivory hair. Her eyes were transfixed not on her reflection, but on the mirror itself. The small room behind her that shown on the surface served as only background noise to her as she reached down onto the vanity to grab a hair tie and began to pull her hair into a sideways ponytail.

With a small tug to be sure the hold was tight, she didn't notice what the mirror was showing until she began to straighten her bangs. The majority of the mirror was taken up by her form, and she eventually locked eyes with herself. Large pools of pale blue stared into themselves, wide eyed and refusing to look away. The mirror showed exactly who she was. Slender form dressed in a pea coat, black buttons being the only color on an otherwise white surface that matched both her hair and pale complexion. She looked away momentarily as she smoothed out her clothing, looking back at the mirror to see the faint smile she was wearing.

For a brief moment, she lost herself. Finding it hard to believe that it was actually her that she was staring at in the mirror. She was content to stand in the strange bliss she found herself in, until her eyes moved toward the large, jagged scar down her left eye. The only imperfection on an otherwise perfect surface, one that quickly turned her soft smile into a firm line. She brought her hand up to her face and lightly traced the scar from the top on her forehead, down her eyelids, to the bottom at the top of her cheekbone. A crushing weight began to settle in her chest and pressure started to build behind her eyes. Her scowl deepened.

Just as the first tears began to form and threatened to fall, she felt a familiar form wrap itself behind her, arms clasped together around Weiss' stomach. Her hand instinctively dropped from her scar to hold the ones wrapped around her as she looked away from herself, instead choosing to look at the reflection of the head seated comfortably on her shoulder. That very moment showed the smiling face of Ruby Rose, and the weight in Weiss' chest lifted and was transformed to a lightweight flutter. Her blue eyes found the silver ones in the mirror, and the small smile she was previously sporting came back as she felt Ruby tighten her hold.

"You're blushing." Ruby's voice came in a lighthearted tease, soft and gentle as it grazed past Weiss' ear. Before she could offer any retort, Ruby raised one of her arms and began to dab at the corner of Weiss' eyes with the cuff of her hoodie. The gesture was slow, tender, and Weiss could feel her heart swelling. "What's bothering you?" Ruby asked in the same tone, barely above a whisper.

Blue eyes quickly shifted from Ruby's silver to the pink scar that ran its way down Weiss' eye. She opened her mouth to speak, but could only manage a strained stutter. Not quite able to find the words; a disconnect between her brain and her heart. She could only stand there, mouth slightly agape, blinking repeatedly as she tried to find something to say. Before she could, she felt Ruby's hand make its way toward the side of Weiss' face and gently nudged her to face the concerned girl.

Now facing each other, Ruby's silver eyes immediately latched onto Weiss' blues. Slowly, tenderly, she placed both of her hands on the back of Weiss' neck and laid the lightest of kisses over the top of Weiss' scar. The pressure behind her eyes began to build up again, although for completely different reasons this time around. Once Ruby's lips departed from her forehead, Weiss blinked away the forming tears and wrapped her own arms around the girl's waist. "You dolt." Weiss murmured.

Ruby gave a wide grin in return, leaning in to kiss the bottom of the scar this time. "This dolt loves you though, and I never want you to forget that." She reassured, bracing her forehead against Weiss'.

With the sudden calmness now settling within her, Weiss softly gripped at the fabric of Ruby's hoodie, absentmindedly playing with the fabric between her fingers. An action that would earn her a scolding in the past, something she knew in the back of her mind and yet she let herself do it anyway once she realized it. "How could I when I have you incessantly reminding me every other sentence?" Weiss playfully teased, causing Ruby to puff her cheeks out in faux defiance. The white haired girl chuckled under her breath before bringing the slightly taller girl in for a kiss. When their lips departed, she was able to look away for a brief moment before being entranced in the silver once again. "I love you too, though. Promise." The smile on Ruby's face was contagious, as she briefly found herself lost in the moment created by the adoration in Ruby's actions.

And she was content to stay that way, holding onto Ruby and embracing the warmth and love that radiated off of her. She hardly even noticed when there was a knock at the door.

"Put your pants on, girls!" Came the loud, teasing voice from the other side of the door, distinctive of Ruby's older sister, Yang. "We're leaving in the next ten minutes; Blake doesn't want to miss the previews!" She practically sang, her voice loud and clear despite the wooden barrier.

Ruby's face turned redder than the ends of her hair, eyes widened at the embarrassment brought upon her by her sister. "Yang! We aren't doing anything like that!" She shouted back, but only after moving a couple steps away from Weiss to avoid shouting in her face. With a small shrug, she placed her hands in her hoodie pocket and smiled. "I'm still sorry about her, she can be a little… Yang-ish sometimes."

"Although I must admit I still find some of her mannerisms to be a bit, well…" Weiss crossed her hands behind her back and briefly shook her head back and forth. "Disruptive, profound, discourteous, and straight up brutish, I'd be lying if I said I didn't care much for her." She tried to hold a stern demeanor, but upon seeing Ruby's confused expression, she failed to hold back the small smile stretching across her lips.

"I'm not sure if I know what some of those words mean, but I definitely know what that smile means!" Ruby replied, beaming from ear to ear as she tried to contain her excitement. "You're warming up to her, aren't you?"

"Well, I wou-" Weiss started, but was cut off from another knock at the door.

"Weiss? There's someone here to see you." Came Yang's voice, this time much calmer and much more serious than her previous teasing.

Weiss froze. Her eyes widened, her chest tightened. A hundred different possibilities began to run through her mind, but she found none of them ending positively. Behind her back, she began to drill her nails into her palms. She simultaneously felt as if she were both drowning and being crushed at the same time, finding it hard to gather enough air to fill her lungs. In the midst of it all, she was able to mentally shake herself for a brief moment to look toward the figure in front of her. "Ruby-"

As if it were her own personal call to arms, Ruby bridged the gap between them and cradled the ivory haired girl's face in her hands. "I don't care who it is. They will not take you." She tried to reassure through a cracked voice, and for a brief moment, Weiss was able to see her own reflection through the pooling tears in the silver eyes. "I don't care what I have to do." Ruby strained.

Another knock at the door, although this time, neither of the girls flinched or paid it any attention. Through her peripheral vision, Weiss was able to make out the outline of a black bow peeking in through the door. "Weiss, she says it's pretty urgent. I'm not sure if Yang and I will be able to keep her waiting around long enough for you two to-"

"I'm coming, Blake." Weiss murmured, grim and forced. She never broke eye contact with Ruby, but briefly leaned into her hands before taking them into her own. "I don't know who it is, and I don't know what they want. But I want you there beside me." She confessed, lowering their hands and intertwining their fingers. Her thoughts were still racing, and her heart didn't fare much better. But despite it all, she was sure she'd be able to handle whatever was thrown her way as long as Ruby was standing beside her.

Without a second thought, Ruby nodded. Finally breaking the eye contact to lead herself and Weiss through the door, determination emanating in waves from the brunette. Weiss allowed herself to be lightly pulled, feeding off of the resolute aura Ruby was giving off to try and steel herself to face whomever was waiting for her. The moment the pair entered the small hallway, she found Yang leaning against the open door with Blake on a nearby wall. Using her free hand to smooth out any remaining wrinkles on her clothes, she nearly stumbled when Ruby stopped in front of the doorway.

And right outside the doorway, she stood. The very first thing Weiss noticed were the immaculate service uniform she was wearing. Not a single flaw or imperfection could be seen it's pristine condition only accented by the number of various patches and ribbons sewn onto it. "Hello, Weiss." She spoke, forceful and yet, somehow gentle at the same time.

Weiss' blue eyes locked onto the blues of the woman outside of the doorway. Her face was familiar, and yet foreign. Snow white hair was pulled back into a tight bun, contained within the dark blue wedge cap. Weiss froze again, tightening her grip on Ruby's hands, her mind urging her to say something – anything, but her body choosing not to listen. The only muscle in her body she had any control over was her eyelids, blinking away any forming tears.

The woman directed her attention toward Yang, who was looking back at her with a quizzical expression. "I'm sorry; I never caught your name."

"Yang." She responded in short, her eyes snapping over toward Blake, Weiss, and then Ruby before returning to the woman in front of her. "Yang Xiao Long."

"Very well, Ms. Xiao Long." She began, removing the cap from her head and holding it behind her back. "May I enter?"

"You're not taking her away." Ruby began, slowly inching her way in front of Weiss. "I don't know who you are, but she's finally happy here with us and I won't let you or anyone else ruin that." She declared, voice shaking and threatening to give out with every word.

The woman's eyes scanned over Ruby, sizing her up before giving a small sigh. "I take it you're her girlfriend?" She asked, slightly exasperated but still managing to be calm. "How appropriately… underwhelming. Though I must recommend you to show a little respect and let me speak to my sister."

Blake pushed herself off of the wall, head turning to look toward Weiss and then back at the woman. "You never mentioned a sister, Weiss." She calmly stated, grabbing Yang by the hand and giving a small nod. In turn, Yang gestured toward the inside of the apartment as the woman slowly entered.

"Winter, I-" Weiss finally spoke up, timidly moving out from behind Ruby but never letting go of her hand. She took a quick moment to look into her girlfriend's silver eyes once more before turning to face the doorway. "Why do you show up now? After, what, a decade?"

"I never asked you how long it's been since we've seen each other. More importantly, are you eating properly? Take up any new hobbies? I see you've made some friends, at least." Winter said, taking another confident step toward Weiss as Yang shut the door behind her. Her eyes darted between Weiss' and Ruby's, and sighed, her perfect posture breaking for a brief moment. "Ruby." She began, Ruby suddenly standing a little straighter, her grip on Weiss' hands tightening a little more. "You're welcome to stay, but I really cannot leave here without speaking to Weiss first."

"Ruby." Weiss softly called, her apprehensive gaze softening ever so slightly. She placed her free hand on her shoulder and took a deep breath. "Let's hear what she has to say. Together."

Ruby slowly, but surely, gave the smallest nod of agreement. The thickened air between all five girls began to thin back out as Weiss gave her an unsure smile. "Okay." She whispered, trying her best to mirror Weiss' smile.

Weiss mouthed a silent 'thank you' to Ruby before looking over toward Blake and Yang. "Could I ask you two to go on ahead without us? I get the feeling you'll miss more than just the previews if you wait on us."

"Yeah, sure." Yang commented before opening the door for Blake to leave first. Before she left herself, she reached into her back pocket and held up her phone, violet eyes locking with Ruby's silver. As soon as she got the confirmation nod from Ruby, she placed her phone back into her pocket and exited the apartment.

"Causing either one of you trouble is on the very bottom of my list today, so I do hope you pardon my intrusion." Winter commented, walking past the pair in the small hallway and taking a seat at the nearby dining room table. She gestured with a gloved hand toward the other side of the table for Weiss and Ruby to take their own seats.

"I have… a lot of questions." Weiss meekly stated as Ruby pulled out her chair for her before taking her own.

Winter raised her hand, and Weiss bowed her head. "I'm sure you do, dear sister. And I'll answer them. All of them. But I hope you'll answer mine first."

"Are you here to take Weiss back?" Ruby finally spoke up, voice much more sure this time as she reached for Weiss' hand underneath the table.

Winter, for a very brief moment, flashed a small smile before shaking her head. "No, Ms. Rose. That is not my intention."

As if those were the magic words, any remaining tension that was left hanging in the air seemed to fall. Weiss let out the breath she didn't know she was holding, and the weight in her chest seemed to lighten a little. The pressure behind her eyes started to creep up on her again, but she was able to force it back. However, she could not hold back the toothy grin that crept its way across her face when Ruby began to profusely thank the woman seated across from them. Winter entertained her for a moment before raising her hand again.

"First and foremost-" She began, placing her cap onto the table and smoothing it out. "I'd love to know how you two met, if you'd be willing to oblige."

Weiss and Ruby both looked at each other, the gleeful expression mirrored between the two. "It was at your high school graduation, right?" Weiss started as Ruby nodded, looking over toward Winter with a smile.

Ruby snickered, looking over toward Weiss. "It was pretty much love at first sight."

"I wouldn't go that far, you dunce. But it is a pretty interesting story."

Winter let out a small chuckle, leaning forward on her elbows. "Please, go ahead."


	2. Kindling

**A/N:** Thank you all for the initial support from the first chapter, I was really happy to find it so well received. I hope to continue that stride with the second chapter, so let me know what y'all think!

And of course, thank you to anonofthecentury once again for her wonderful beta work.

Enjoy!

* * *

"Ruby!" Yang nearly shouted, locking eyes with her sister in the rearview mirror of the small car. "How are you feeling?" she asked, gazing back toward the road.

Ruby shuffled uncomfortably in the back seat, she wore a fairly simplistic sleeveless dress colored in a deep red. Being as it was the only dress in her wardrobe, she found the fabric to be a bit stiff and itchy as it rubbed against her skin. Although the dress paled in comparison to the pair of red heels that adorned her feet, several hours were spent attempting to learn to walk in them, but they still felt like little red prisons threatening to squeeze the life out of her feet. "Well," she began. "I can't say I'm a big fan of the attire. I can kind of put up with the dress, but these lady stilts are pretty stupid."

Blake let out a light chuckle in the passenger seat, turning back to look at Ruby. "You only have to be in that getup for a few hours, think you can put up with the 'lady stilts' until then?" she asked, giving a brief look over of the fidgeting girl. "They do look good on you, though. I think Yang will agree with me."

"Sure do!" The blonde exclaimed, briefly looking at her sister once more through the mirror. "You're looking hot, sis!" A wide grin began to stretch across her face. "But if you bring any boys home, you better let mama Yang give them a talking to before they so much as touch a single hair on your head." Yang finished, much to Ruby's embarrassment as a light dusting of pink began to color her cheeks.

Blake quickly reached over the center console and gave Yang a light slap on the arm. "And I'll be sure to give you a talking to right after. Don't embarrass your sister like that." she scolded, looking back toward Ruby and mouthing an apology.

A curt snicker came from the blonde. "What kind of 'talking to' are we talking about, Ms. Belladonna?" She teased, side-eyeing the black haired woman with a wink. The blush growing on Blake's face was Yang's own little reward for a job well done.

"Sooo," Ruby interrupted, her light blush now growing into a raging fire across her face. "What do you guys want to do afterward?" she asked, hoping to change the topic before Blake and Yang really got into their flirting. "We could go out for some dinner, or catch a movie, or play some games back at home."

"It's your day, Ruby-" Blake commented, turning back toward the road. "It's a nice day out, we could go walk around downtown afterward if it isn't too late."

Looking out of the window, Ruby played around with the idea. Although the sun was still high in the sky, it would start to set within the next hour or so she figured. She was still confined in her uncomfortable clothing, but if there was one positive side to being confined in the dress, it was that it would keep her fairly cool in the growing summer heat. And with a setting sun, the weather is bound to get cooler. If they were going to be walking about after sunset, a trip back home to grab a jacket – and a change of shoes – would be a good idea. "I like that idea. There's a bakery downtown that we've passed a few times that I'd love to try." she responded, turning back toward the front with a small smile stretched across her face.

"Oh, we know," Yang said. "You've been itching to get into that place for a while now, but seeing as it's a special occasion-"

"Really?!" Ruby exclaims, a grin stretching her lips, leaning forward a bit. As soon as Yang nodded, she let out a high pitched squeal as the small smile stretched to a large grin. "You're the best, Yang!"

With a quick laugh, Yang turned to Blake and prodded her with her elbow. "You hear that, Blakey? I'm the best."

With a roll of her eyes, Blake nudged Yang's elbow back across the console and crossed her arms. "Oh please, Ruby's favorite person is literally anyone who offers her any sort of candy or dessert." she deadpanned.

"That's also true. Ruby, you know what we've said about stranger danger right?" Yang joked, locking eyes with her sister through the mirror as she stopped at a red light.

"Yaaang, I'm not a child." Ruby argued. "I'm eighteen and graduating high school tonight. I'm even giving a speech!"

"Speaking of – " Blake began, reaching into her back pocket and pulling out a small stack of notecards that she then passed back to Ruby. "You forgot these on the counter."

With widened eyes, Ruby began patting around her dress before realizing that she doesn't have any pockets. "Oh my goodness, thank you!" She grabbed the cards from Blake and began to shift through them, going over both the physical and mental notes that she had taken.

"No problem, are you nervous?" Blake questioned, looking back toward Ruby with the rearview mirror.

As she finished ordering the cards, Ruby placed them into the nearby door pocket and gave a small shrug. "In a way, yes. I mean, I know I've been over the whole thing a hundred times with you guys and to myself in the mirror," she started, clasping her hands together in her lap. "But thinking about doing it in front of the entire school is a different story, I'm not even sure why I was asked to deliver a speech."

"Because the book you and Blake wrote together is amazing." Yang chimed in, reaching over the console and grabbing onto Blake's hand before looking over toward her with an endearing gaze. "It probably looks good for the school if they have a successful author speaking at their graduation."

"Then shouldn't Blake be up there with me?" Ruby retorted, "She's also an alumni. Both of you are!"

"Sorry, Ruby. But you know your sister and I will be rooting for you." Blake responded, turning toward the brunette once more. "The school is just around the corner, are you ready?"

Ruby turned her head toward the window once more, the main building of the school coming into view as the car turned the corner. The parking lot was already beginning to fill up as both parents and students started to make their way toward the auditorium. She tried her best to swallow the growing lump in her throat as she nodded, more so to herself than Blake. "Yeah," she whispered.

* * *

"Weiss." Raureif Schnee spoke, clear and stern. He was seated in one of the two front facing, pristine white leather seats in the luxury limousine. Everything in the vehicle was that exact same color. The carpet, the ceiling, the upholstery, even the suit the man was wearing. The same blinding white was everywhere and inescapable. Beside him in an identical seat sat his wife, her dress being no exception to the strict color palette.

Behind them sat Weiss, alone in the center of the back seat that stretched the width of the car. Back straight, hands overlapped over her legs. "Yes, father?" she answered, head bowed slightly despite knowing that neither parents would turn to look at her.

And she was right, her father didn't even so much as twitch in her general direction as he spoke. "This is your first time representing not only the Schnee family, but the company itself." he continued, gently swirling the glass of scotch he held in his hand. "Do not make a fool of yourself. But more importantly, do not make a fool of the Schnee name. Do I make myself clear?"

Weiss' head instinctively bowed a little deeper. "Yes, father." she replied clearly, waiting for the faint sound of his glass being placed upon the armrest before she raised her head. "Though, if I may, I do have a question." she timidly asked, her eyes locked in front of her, not daring to look anywhere else.

She heard her mother, Kalte, clear her throat before briefly looking over toward her father. Once he gave a small nod, she turned back. "Weiss," She began, "A Schnee is never unsure. If you have a question, ask it with confidence. Are you a Schnee, or aren't you?" she said; but the bite in her voice didn't make it a question. It made it a threat.

Weiss' fingers curled into the fabric of her skirt, "Why-"

"And do not play with your clothes; you know I hate that habit of yours." her mother added, her head never moving as if it were frozen in place.

Letting go of the fabric and meticulously smoothing it back out, Weiss nodded and took a short breath. "Why are we holding a business meeting at a high school graduation? Wouldn't it be better suited for a boardroom or one of the meeting rooms back at home?" she inquired, controlling her exhale as she calmed her quickening heartrate.

"Weiss," Raureif began, "you're the sole heiress of the Schnee Company. It's important for the public to see you make an appearance from time to time." He spoke plainly, her mother slightly nodding beside him. "The only reason we're coming with you is in case of damage control."

"Do you think I'm not capable?" the heiress retorted, careful to watch her tone so that she did not sound defiant or arrogant.

"We'll find out soon enough." her father concluded, voice lingering on for a brief moment after he closed his mouth.

Weiss accepted his answer, letting out a small sigh through her nose. She felt her heartbeat begin to quicken at the thought of going through business dealings on her own, coupled with the fact that she'd be under surveillance from her parents the entire time. Nervousness was not a feeling she was particularly intimate with, and she didn't much care for it. Years of hearing different wordings of the same mantra of 'Schnee's do not get nervous, and are never unsure' have given her negative connotations with any kind of emotion that might solicit second guessing. Still, she tried to bury the feeling deep inside of her and instead go over all of the methods and techniques of the business world she had been taught throughout the years that she kept in the back of her mind. Exactly how the day would end, she did not know, but as the main building of the high school began to come into view from the tinted windows, she only wished that the end would arrive soon.

* * *

If Ruby were to be completely honest, she was not a big fan of formal events. Large crowds weren't her favorite thing in particular either. So, a high school graduation which is both a formal event which draws large crowds is something that she really was not a fan of. It started off well enough, meeting with her peers in the school's cafeteria as they all waited for everyone to arrive before they were told their next instructions. Once everyone had arrived and they were lined up according in alphabetical order by last name, they had all walked down to the auditorium and took their seats there as the ceremony officially began.

Ruby took advantage of the short window in which the last few stragglers were making their way into the auditorium to take a view of her surroundings. She had known that the school's auditorium was fairly large, but the sheer number of people she saw around her took her by surprise. How they managed to fit so many people into the room without breaking any fire codes was completely unknown to her. The sheer amount of body heat being generated around her began to make her skin feel slick underneath her gown as she felt her dress begin to stick to her body. Even the air was thickened, and the brunette found it harder and harder to catch a proper breath, though her attention was shot back toward the stage when the sound of a microphone being tapped tore through the auditorium.

The man standing behind the podium was not a familiar face. He wore a buttoned black vest with a green turtleneck sweater underneath, he stood tall and patient as the small growing commotion quickly died down. "I would like to apologize on the principal's behalf. He has taken ill at the last minute and asked me to fill in for him." he began, voice carrying through the entire auditorium with ease. "My name is Ozpin, and I am the head of Beacon University here in town. I am honored to be here, and I wish all of you nothing but success in your futures. I will speak more at the end of the ceremony, but first off, we have a speech prepared for us by your valedictorian." he continued, pausing for a moment to look down at the podium. "Pyrrha Nikos. Please hold your applause until the end of her speech."

Ozpin bowed slightly as he departed from the podium, taking a seat in the row of chairs behind him as Pyrrha stood from her seat and made her way up the stage. Seated beside Ozpin in the row were a number of other faculty members, teachers Ruby was familiar with and those she wasn't. Among them, however, were four people clearly unrelated to the school seated at the end of the row that she did not recognize. Her attention was drawn to the first three, their white hair and apparel stuck out harshly against the black curtain behind them. The fourth nearly blending in with the curtain, though she had a completely different air about her than the prior three. Silver eyes were drawn toward one of the figures in white, who looked to be the youngest person in the row. The brunette couldn't exactly put her finger on what drew her attention, but the woman appeared uncomfortable. Her blue eyes transfixed somewhere in front of her, she appeared to be periodically speaking to the woman in black beside her. If it weren't for the movement of the younger one's mouth, Ruby could have sworn she was one of those realistic wax figures. Ruby found herself staring absentmindedly, hardly ever looking away from the pair.

"…Thank you." Came the familiar voice of Pyrrha as her speech ended unbeknownst to Ruby. The applause that erupted around her snapped her out of her temporary stasis as she found herself back in reality and began to clap along. Ozpin stood and made his way back toward the podium and began to call out the salutatorian for their speech, and Ruby's stomach began to sink. She would be next to deliver her own speech afterward, and although she had been over it constantly, the idea still wasn't favorable.

* * *

"What's your game, Raureif?" the woman spoke the very moment Weiss followed her parents onto the stage and sat in the row of chairs against the back curtain. Already, Weiss could feel the woman's spiteful gaze trying to bore its way into the side of her head. But, she was able to stay outwardly composed despite her rising heartbeat. She found a spot on the far side of the auditorium wall and stared at it, refusing to allow the woman beside her the satisfaction of eye contact. She was already beginning to feel a bubbling pit of nervousness begin to grow in her stomach from being in front of the sea of people in front of her, the stare from Cinder certainly not alleviating the situation.

Raureif chuckled underneath his breath as he sat in his own chair, leaning forward slightly to look at the woman. "This is no game, Ms. Fall, is it?" He asked in a masked condescending tone, his own blue eyes looking not at the woman, but directly past her.

A scowl began to grow on the woman's face as she crossed her arms across her chest. "Cinder Fall, Raureif, as you know damn well." Cinder almost barked back.

"Do not speak to my father in such a way, Ms. Fall." Weiss started, crossing her legs and smoothing out her skirt. "I have every right to be here speaking to you as both a member of the Schnee Company, and as the daughter of Kalte and Raureif Schnee." Through the corner of her eye, she could tell that Cinder was visibly taken back. Weiss had to work to contain the devious grin threatening to spread across her lips. "But more importantly, why are you here?"

The scowl on Cinder's face gradually dissipated, whether it was from defeat or to save her from future embarrassment was unknown. "I have a relative graduating today and was invited personally by the principal." She spoke in a hushed tone as a student behind the podium began to give their speech. "I'm surprised to see the Schnee's out in public, though. Is there any particular reason for that?"

"It's important to be seen in public every now and then, is it not?" Weiss replied, eyes still locked on that random spot on the far side wall. She felt her heartbeat progressively begin to slow back down to a more regular pace, despite the glares from Cinder and her father's stoic expression beside her. "I've heard that the Fall Corporation has fallen on some hard times, is that right?"

The glare from Cinder intensified. "I don't see how that matters much to you or your family."

Weiss internally patted herself on the back as it seemed Cinder was started to play more defensively. Already, it appeared that she had the upper hand in what was hopefully going to be a lucrative dealing. The crowd of people in front of her became background noise along with the current student delivering a speech as the gears in her mind began to turn, thinking up responses for anything Cinder could possibly try to say to catch her off guard. "We're all a part of the economy, are we not?" Weiss continued, "When one of us suffers, we all suffer." she lied through her teeth, all things considered; her family's company was at an all-time rise. But Cinder didn't need to know that.

"You're right," Cinder admitted, "you've come all the way out here, surely you're not just going to make small talk with me." She finished as the student finished their speech and the auditorium began to erupt in applause. As soon as the applause died down, Ozpin stood from his seat to announce the next speaker.

It would appear Cinder had a similar thought process, waiting for Weiss to make the first offer. This didn't bother the heiress, however. If anything, she preferred it. "We'll offer to buy you and your company out, and the Fall Corporation will be able to continue with Schnee as your parent company. Eighty twenty." she offered, tactically gauging Cinder's response through the corner of her eye.

Drumming her fingers against her legs, Cinder shook her head. "Come now, Weiss. You can't expect me to just hand over control of the entire company like that. Seventy thirty. I'm able to keep control and continue my business, and you'll still end up with a generous portion." she counter offered, her voice smooth as if she were speaking to a lover rather than a business rival.

Weiss began to run over a few numbers in her head, and although the prospective benefits of Cinder's offer weren't bad, she wasn't a big fan knowing that her family would be dumping money into a company that could potentially turn on them. She barely paid attention to the third speaker who made their way onto the stage and stood behind the podium. "No, I don't -"

"Sorry! I'm so sorry about that!" the student in front of her quickly exclaimed as Weiss' attention was ripped from the far side wall and onto the commotion in front of her. It appeared as if the note cards she was holding had slipped from her hands and were now strewn across the stage around the podium.

One of the note cards slid in front of Weiss' seat, she slowly bent down and picked it up. It was covered in nonsensical ramblings that she couldn't make heads or tails of, but held it out in front of her when the woman who dropped them turned to find the last few cards.

"Thank you so much!" The student said with a shaky voice as she grasped onto the card Weiss was offering to her. Though, the heiress didn't let it go. Weiss was transfixed on the silver eyes of the stumbling, nervous girl in front of her. Weiss was nearly able to see her reflection through the girl's eyes, fully content to lose herself inside them. In a way she couldn't describe, they were calming. Reassuring. Maybe even caring, despite the obvious shock written across her face. It wasn't until the girl cleared her throat that Weiss shook herself from the trance, and slightly nodded as she relinquished the card.

From both sides of her, Weiss was able to feel the glares. From Cinder, probably trying to find an opening to exploit, and from her mother, silently scolding her for not paying closer attention to her actions. Weiss shut her eyes for a brief moment and exhaled, finding her spot on the far side wall as she recollected herself. The silver-eyed woman restarted her speech, and was able to finish it without a hitch the second time through.

"I'll have someone contact you tomorrow; we'll finish this soon, Weiss." Cinder mentioned, and Weiss respectfully nodded in confirmation. She found her father through her peripheral vision to try and gauge his reaction, but his hard, neutral expression gave no answer.

The rest of the graduation ceremony continued and finished with no interruptions, the students all receiving their diplomas as Ozpin gave his closing speech and declared them all high school graduates. As soon as they were all led out of the auditorium doors, Weiss followed her parents as they stood from their seats and began their way off the stage. She nodded very briefly toward Cinder before catching up to her parents as they exited the back entrance and toward the white limousine parked on the side of the road, chauffer already holding the door open. The silence from both of her parents caused the same feeling of nervousness rise in her chest again, though she wasn't sure whether it was from excitement or fear. She felt as if she handled the situation fairly well, though she hadn't a clue how it was perceived by her parents.

"Father," Weiss started just as he was about to enter the vehicle, "I need to use the bathroom."

"Don't leave us waiting too long." Raureif responded, tone flat of any indication of how he was feeling about Weiss' performance. Before Weiss could respond, he waved her off.

* * *

"I survived, girls!" Ruby excitedly exclaimed, arms raised in the air as she exited the auditorium into the large foyer and wrapped Blake and Yang in a tight hug. The air throughout the large room matched her own, classmates all around her finding their own friends and parents. Some were crying, either from happiness or sadness, others were laughing, but the feeling excitement was hard to ignore.

Wrapping her own arms around Blake and Ruby, Yang quickly began to dominate the hug as she brought a hand up and tousled Ruby's hair. "And we couldn't be any more proud of you, Rubes. You even gave the speech your own little flair!" she teased.

Groaning, Ruby slipped herself out of Yang's arms and placed her hands on her hips. "That was so embarrassing! All the cards were out of order after I picked them up and I was practically going in blind!" she retorted.

Blake directed the trio toward the side of the room against a wall where they wouldn't be in the way of anyone trying to get by. Leaning against the wall, she let out a small chuckle. "You played it off fairly well, though. I personally thought you did really well."

Ruby's face was directed toward Yang when the blonde placed her hand over the side of her face. "Mom would be proud, Ruby." she admitted in a serious tone, her lilac eyes locked with silver. Yang being serious was not a common occurrence, so during the few times she is, Ruby is sure to listen. Sure to take in every word and take it to heart. With all of the excitement building up over the past few days, Ruby had little time to think of her mother. But now that she was mentioned, it all started to hit her.

Unable to look away from her sister, Ruby nodded. She was suddenly aware of exactly how hard her heart was beating in her chest from the emotions brought upon her by Yang's words. Pressure began to build up behind her eyes, tears beginning to form not much longer. Wiping the corners of her eyes with the sleeve of her gown, she nodded again as a smile stared to creep its way across her lips. "She probably would have ran up on the stage with me when I dropped the cards." she said, her voice shaking, wiping the corners of her eyes once again to clear away the remaining tears.

Pushing herself off of the wall, Blake placed her hands over the sibling's shoulders, flashing a soft smile to the both of them. "It's still pretty early, Ruby. You still want to go for a stroll downtown?" she offered, nodding her head toward the front entrance.

Nodding with a happy, if tearful, smile, Ruby brushed a stray hair out of her eye and returned Blake's smile. "I'd love that. You girls mind waiting for me in the car? I need to use the bathroom real quick."

"Sure thing," Yang started, taking Blake by the hand. "But if the car goes a rocking -"

She was cut off when Blake abruptly shoved an elbow into her side. "Take your time, I'll be sure Yang behaves herself."

Waving to the two girls, Ruby turned and began her way down an adjacent hall. Things had begun to calm down a bit to a dull roar, a few people already leaving with their families, others moving their conversations outside. Ruby had little issues snaking her way through the people still clustered in the hallway, stopping every now and then for a brief moment to congratulate and thank some of her classmates. Overall, the previous excitement seemed like it would stick around for the rest of the night at the very least. Thinking back, she was proud that she was able to pick up the pieces of her speech and finish without any more issues. Although Yang's words about her mother had nothing but good intentions, the thought was still sticking in the back of Ruby's mind. Not present enough to bother her, but just enough to serve as a steady reminder if her mind wasn't otherwise occupied.

It was difficult for her to imagine the fact that she wouldn't be walking these halls five days a week, nine months of the year. Bittersweet would be an accurate way to describe it, the halls held a lot of memories. She'll remember many of them fondly, but she was also both nervous and excited about what the future had in store for her.

At the moment though, she was more surprised to find that the hallway with the bathrooms was empty. Ruby figured that most people thought they'd be too crowded and decided to avoid them. Whatever the reason, she was glad that she wouldn't have to wait in a line to use a bathroom. Although, when she entered the bathroom, she found out that she wasn't completely alone.

The same girl with the white hair on the stage from earlier was standing over the sink, head turned downward as she washed her hands. She seemed to have not notice when Ruby walked in, so the brunette figured it'd be a good opportunity to introduce herself and properly thank her for returning one of the cards that fell. "Hello-" Ruby said, trying her best so sound as casual as possible.

The woman stopped what she was doing, but never turned her head to face Ruby. Instead, she turned off the faucet and began to pull out a handful of paper towels from the dispenser next to her. "You're the one who dropped her cards earlier, aren't you?" she questioned, voice sharp and reprimanding.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Ruby clasped her hands together in front of her. Already, it appeared that the woman wasn't in a talkative mood, but Ruby decided to press on. "Yeah," she started, eyes darting around the room, not sure where to look at. "That was me, sorry. I'd like to thank you for helping me pick them up, though."

Finishing drying her hands, the woman tossed the paper towels into the nearby trash can. "It was only one card. I hardly 'helped' you pick them up after your incompetency to adequately hold onto them." she snapped back, clasping her hands together behind her back, still refusing to look anywhere else other than the mirror in front of her.

"Uh -" Ruby stuttered, grasping at the front of her gown. "Yeah, it was kind of embarrassing. But you still didn't have to pick that one up, so- " her eyes found the woman's through the reflection in the mirror, and immediately darted toward the scar that trailed down her left eye, too nervous to maintain eye contact. Ruby never even noticed it up on the stage when she was trying to recover. In the back of her mind, she knew she was staring and that it was rude of her to do so, but she couldn't help but freeze as she tried to find the right words. "Thanks. Again," she finally finished.

The woman briefly shut her eyes and visibly exhaled. After what felt like forever, she turned her head to meet Ruby's wide-eyed stupor. Her icy blue eyes felt like they were piercing her rather than looking at her. "Dunce." she scolded in a harsh tone, quickly making her way past Ruby and out of the bathroom.

When the moment finally caught up to her, Ruby turned to try and catch the girl, but she was gone. Contemplating for a brief moment whether to run out into the halls to try and find her, Ruby decided against it when she realized she was still in heels. If she could barely walk in them, she didn't want to try her luck in running in them.

"Well," came a voice from behind her, Ruby turned to find another one of the women from the stage walking out of a stall. This time it was the one in black that nearly blended in with the curtain. "She's a bit of an ice cold bitch, isn't she?" she spat with narrowed eyes.

"I -"

Ruby was cut off when the woman held her hand out in front of her, slowly shaking her head. "Speak with me for a moment, Ruby Rose." she said, a sly smile began to stretch across her lips, "This could very well be the start of something . . . grand."


	3. Chipped

**A/N:** I apologize for this one coming out a bit later, there were a few days where I didn't get any writing finished because I just didn't know how to put thoughts to words in a coherent way.

Good news is that I've already started on chapter 4. So, expect that before _too_ long. And once again, thank you to anonofthecentury for all her beta work.

Enjoy!

* * *

Ruby was right in the decision to change out of her dress and into something warmer after the events of the graduation. Once the sun had set, the temperature lowered and the hot day turned to a brisk night. She had no doubt that if she were still in the dress and heels, she would be freezing. But in her red hoodie and jeans, she was comfortable. Although it would appear that her plan of hanging around downtown was shared with more people than she assumed. The streets were always lively around this time at night, though it never really felt crowded. This night was an exception, the trio nearly having to walk in a single file line in order to not bump into anyone on the sidewalks. Many of the local businesses were taking advantage of the graduation; most of them displaying signs in their windows that advertised discounts with student ID's, or longer hours.

"I don't remember the streets, let alone the city, being so crowded when we graduated," Blake spoke, her voice a tad bit louder than usual in order to be heard above the separate conversations all around them.

"Yeah," Yang began, "though we also didn't have nearly as many students a couple years back. A lot of people have been moving here over the past couple years, so it only makes sense that the schools would be more populated I guess." She led the girls into a nearby gift shop that appeared to be slightly less crowded than any other shop around. Many of the shelves and display stands around the small store were almost barren, presumably picked apart by the influx of customers.

Blake broke away for a moment and turned toward a nearby shelf that held a number of small plush animals. It was one of the few shelves left that had any merchandise on it, though the disheveled appearance of the remaining plushies were proof that even they were ravaged. "Any reason you led us in here, blondie?"

Yang shrugged. "The crowd was starting to get on my nerves; I thought we could hang out in here for a few minutes before charging back in," she admitted, whirling around to join Blake by her side. A wide grin grew across her face when she gestured toward one of the plushies left on the shelf. "That one kind of looks like you."

Picking up the plush Yang had pointed out, Blake turned toward the blonde and raised an eyebrow. It was a small, black cat. Large yellow eyes took up the majority of the face, and a tiny bow was wrapped around its neck. "Really?" she asked, unimpressed.

Yang nodded. "If you took the bow off of its neck and put it on its head, it'd pretty much be an exact match," she continued to jest, taking the plush from Blake's hand to hold it up next to her head. "Twins!"

Rolling her eyes, Blake took the plush from Yang, holding it up beside her face as she turned to Ruby. "Ruby, does this toy look like me?"

"Uh – "Ruby's eyes began to shift between Blake and the small cat, and she was immediately able to find a resemblance. Amber eyes paired with black hair certainly sold the look, and it was only furthered considering the fact Blake's bow somewhat resembled cat ears. Behind Blake, Yang was furiously nodding her head with a dumb grin across her face. "Yeah, maybe a little," Ruby admitted, a slight lie considering she found the resemblance to be uncanny.

Yang celebrated with a quick fist pump before taking the plush from Blake. "I'm totally buying this, by the way." she gleefully stated, turning on her heel to head toward the cashier.

"Wait – " Ruby began, stopping Yang in her tracks as she spun back around with wide eyes. "Can I talk to you girls about something first real quick maybe?" she asked, placing both her hands in her hoodie pocket and rubbing her hands together.

Yang took a small, cautious step toward Ruby and glanced over toward Blake for a quick moment. "Of course, sis. What's up?"

Shrugging, Ruby was able to feel a tiny knot of nervousness begin to twist in her stomach. She tried her best to untie it, knowing that she could be completely open with Blake and Yang, though her stomach wasn't quite convinced. "It's about a woman I met when I went to the bathroom after graduation." she began, her eyes locked on the floor between the women in front of her.

Blake turned her head toward Yang and offered a small shrug before turning back to Ruby. "You have been pretty silent since. Nothing bad happened, did it?"

"W-well, not really," Ruby stuttered. "At least, I don't think it's a bad thing." With her fingers digging into the fabric of her hoodie, she was able to halt the growing knot in her stomach. It was still present, but manageable for the brunette. "She said her name was Cinder, and she invited me to some party she's throwing next week," she continued, steeling herself enough to break her gaze from the floor and find the amber eyes looking back at her in concern. "To talk about our book."

Yang looked over toward Blake with a growing smile, and then toward her sister. "Why're you nervous telling us about that?" she began, taking a step forward and grabbing Ruby by her shoulders. "That's awesome! Maybe she's like some sort of fancy movie director?"

"You want me to go with you, don't you?" Blake muttered, the corners of her lips beginning to mirror the smile Yang had.

The small knot in her stomach gradually began to unwind itself as Ruby took her hands out of her pocket and brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face. "She never said I couldn't bring a guest, and I didn't write the book alone, after all." she said as Yang removed one of her arms to wrap it around Blake and pull the two in closer.

"You two aren't going to forget about me when you're both rich and famous, right?" Yang joked, rustling Ruby's hair with one hand and pinching Blake's behind with the other.

After a curt yelp, Blake light heartedly shoved her elbow into Yang's side. "Oh, please. There'd always be room for you." she said as she began to count on her fingers. "Maid, mechanic, lawn care, pool cleaner, or portable fireplace. Take your pick." Blake grinned, and the three shared a brief laugh over Yang's expense.

"Hold up," Yang interjected, "portable fireplace?"

Lifting Yang's arm from around her shoulders, Ruby scurried out from under her sister. "Not saying it's a bad thing," she started, smoothing out her hair from Yang's previous rustling. "But, we could probably roast marshmallows on the heat you give off, like, all the time."

"Five cents a marshmallow and you got yourself a deal," Yang joked, holding out her hand with a dumb smirk smeared across her face.

"Your sisters antics aside," Blake said, shifting her weight into Yang, "I know your graduation dress is the only one you own, and I don't own any. How about we go dress shopping tomorrow?"

"We?" Ruby asked, eyes darting between Blake and Yang. Already, she was able to tell how Yang would react on a clothes shopping trip. She would have her phone out constantly, begging Ruby to try on a number of dresses that would never be bought. Knowing Yang, she'd take dozens upon dozens of pictures to end up on a plethora of social media sites at Ruby's expense. Though she didn't want to ostracize her sister from anything, Ruby definitely wanted to spare herself from that kind of embarrassment.

Blake looked up toward a pouting Yang, but only rolled her eyes with a small grin. "Just the two of us. Yang can stay home and finally clean the bedroom like she's been promising."

Yang had a faux defeated look about her; shoulders slumped as she let out an exaggerated groan. "You two never let me have any fun."

* * *

Fashion, unsurprisingly, was not one of Ruby's strong suits. She didn't care much about the season's latest styles, or what colors complimented or clashed with each other. She didn't care about accessorizing or even wearing makeup for that matter. Ruby simply wore what she was comfortable wearing while still managing to not look like a total disaster. For the post part, that consisted of jeans and either her red hoodie or simple t-shirts depending on the weather. So, when she was presented with an opportunity in which she had to dress professionally, she was at a total loss. For the past what felt like forever, she had been mindlessly following Blake around the part of town that Yang would refer to as 'fancy pants' and 'hoity toity'. Ruby wasn't at all uncomfortable, though. She did genuinely enjoy spending time with Blake, and even enjoyed shopping itself to a small degree. It was the monotony that started to get to her, however. She didn't know how many boutiques her and Blake had been through, but she was starting to doubt she could count high enough to even try.

". . .color, Ruby?" Blake called back, the fabric of a nearby dress shifting between her fingers. They found themselves in yet another boutique, Ruby not sure, and didn't really care enough to know what made this one different from all the others. She could only complain so much, though. The summer sun was brutal in the afternoon, and the air conditioned boutiques were like heaven on her skin.

"What'd you say, Blake?" Ruby replied, shaking herself from her stupor.

"I asked you if you liked this color," Blake reiterated, taking the dress off of the rack with a careful touch as she handed it to Ruby.

Taking the dress from the raven haired girl, it didn't take Ruby but a moment to gaze over the dress before deciding she wasn't a fan. The design itself was beautiful, she thought. The cut was low enough to keep things exciting, but high enough to still keep things at least somewhat modest. It even flared out a little at the bottom, a feature that Ruby actually enjoyed. The big issue was the color. It was a bright, bright yellow that could threaten to overthrow the sun. Another quick look at the dress, and she could easily figure out why it gathered Blake's attention. "This is like Yang if Yang could transform into a dress," Ruby commented with a slight chuckle.

Blake took the dress from Ruby before extending it out in front of her, amber eyes trailing their way up and down the miniature sun. "You're right," she deadpanned, hanging the dress back up on the rack in front of her and letting out a quick sigh. "All of these shops, all sorts of beautiful dresses, and yet we still haven't found anything that's appropriate. It'd be a lot of help if we knew exactly how professional this party is supposed to be." Crossing her arms across her chest, she leaned against a nearby display stand. "We don't even know anyone else that's going, so we can't even ask anyone."

"Well, Cinder was pretty fancy. I'm drawing the line at those dumb lady stilt heel things, though." Ruby commented, scrunching her toes as she both physically and metaphorically planted her feet into the ground.

Blake chuckled. "Maybe some short wedges or a pair of flats would work better for you."

Nodding her head, Ruby turned from the woman in front of her to absentmindedly look at some of the dresses on a nearby rack. Running her fingers over the fabric of a select few, she started to play with the idea of just wearing her graduation dress again. It's not like many people knew what she was wearing underneath the gown, so she didn't think she'd be breaking some unspoken rule about wearing the same thing twice to two separate events. There was one particular dress though, that when she went to reach for, her hand bumped into another's.

Ruby didn't even notice anyone other than Blake was around her, but when she turned to apologize, she found another woman standing next to her, clear as day. The first thing she noticed was the fact that the stranger was easily half a foot shorter than Ruby. Her hair was evenly split between two colors, a soft pink and a dark brown. The same coloration even extended to her eyes as they looked through Ruby, rather than at her. Despite her height and the color scheme that reminded Ruby of ice cream, the strangest thing about her appeared to be her outfit. A baby blue dress with white lace with a white apron overtop, a black twelve-pointed snowflake embroidered onto the center of the apron.

"Uh -" Ruby began, lowering her hand and darting her eyes to try and find Blake. "Sorry, I wasn't even paying attention. Sorry again." She reached for the dress again, taking it off of the rack and offering it to the woman in front of her. "Did you want to look at this? Sorry again . . . again."

Noticing Ruby's discomfort, Blake turned from her current task and joined the brunette by her side. Amber eyes traveled over the short stature of the woman, narrowing when they found the snowflake crest on the apron. When Blake opened her mouth to speak, she was cut off by another voice coming from one of the dressing rooms across the small boutique. "Neo, what's taking you so long?" The eyes of the woman in front of Blake and Ruby widened before she snatched the dress with a quick nod and hurried toward the dressing rooms.

"I recognize that voice, I think." Ruby muttered, turning her head and looking toward Blake, who still had the same stern expression plastered across her face. "Did she remind you of bubblegum pop, too? Cause she kind of reminded me of bubblegum pop. And ice cream."

"No," Blake stated under her breath, regaining her composure and shaking her head. "I vaguely recognize the symbol on her, though." Shrugging, she shifted her weight to one side and gestured toward the changing rooms across the store. "You mentioned you know that voice? Want to see who it is?"

Ruby played with the idea. She was certain that the voice was from the same woman as last night, and although she didn't receive the warmest of receptions in the bathroom the other day, a part of her was still wildly curious about the white haired woman. Looking back at the embarrassing debacle during her speech, it certainly wasn't a lucrative first impression. The same could be said for their meeting in the bathroom, but the more Ruby thought it over, the more she kind of wanted to see her again. Although the stranger was harsh and cold, she also had an air of mystery, calmness, or maybe even fragility. "Uh, yeah."

Before Blake could respond, Ruby's eyes were already locked onto the dressing room with the brown and pink haired woman from before. Her legs were moving on their own, and her heart started to quicken as she started to anxiously clasp her hands together in front of her and play with her own fingers. Ruby didn't exactly know why she was starting to feel nervous, but the thumping of her heart only became more pronounced as the distance between her and her destination dwindled. The short woman in front of one of the changing room doors stared at her the entire time, though Ruby hardly noticed it. When the two were finally within a few feet of each other after what felt like a mile long walk, the woman gave a small bow before moving aside.

Not long after, the dressing room door opened, and out walked the same woman from the bathroom from the night before, the dress that was brought to her prior in her arms. Not even acknowledging the presence of Blake and Ruby in front of her, she shut the door behind her and handed the dress off to the short woman at her side. Her blue eyes looking directly through whatever it was that had the misfortune of standing in front of her. Content to just ignore them, she turned and began to make her way down a small aisle of display stands, the brown and pink haired woman in tow.

The nervousness in her chest now beginning to reach critical levels, she looked over toward Blake for a brief moment before turning back toward the departing women. "Uh -" she started, much louder and embarrassing than what she had intended.

The woman froze, and Ruby could see her visibly exhale. "What do you want?" she asked, though the snap in her voice made it sound more like a dare than a question.

Ruby could feel a lump starting to form in her throat as she began to regret the decision of going to meet the woman. "Oh, nothing, I, uh – "

"It's rude not to look at someone when you speak to them," Blake interjected, arms crossed, her eyes threatening to bore a hole in the back of the white hair in front of them.

Turning on her heel, the woman crossed her arms behind her back and met Blake's gaze, an uncomfortable, tight tension forming between the two of them. "What do you want?" she enunciated, a bite added to every word.

"Oh, uh -" Ruby stuttered, stepping forward a small bit. "We didn't really get to meet properly yesterday, and I recognized your voice," she explained as she glanced toward Blake before trying her best to steel herself. "Can we try again?" Ruby asked, holding out a hand with a small smile on her face. "I'm Ruby, and this is Blake."

Blue eyes looked down at Ruby's extended hand before snapping toward Blake, amber eyes narrowed in a less than cheery disposition. With a strained sigh, she extended her own hand to meet Ruby's. "Weiss. Is that all you wanted?"

Ruby was pleasantly surprised to find Weiss' well-manicured hand as soft as it was, a stark contrast to the very little she knew of the woman. As a matter of fact, everything about Weiss appeared to be prim, proper; even perfect. Not a single strand of hair could be seen out of place from the long ponytail on the side of her head, and not a single wrinkle or deformity could be spotted on her clothes. Although Ruby did take note of the same twelve pointed snowflake on the chest of her cardigan. Afraid of somehow soiling the pristine image of the woman in front of her, she quickly let go of Weiss' hand when she felt that her own was beginning to sweat. "Totally random, but do you happen to know a Cinder Fall?" Ruby asked meekly, wiping her hand on the back of her jeans to rid it of the beading sweat.

Weiss' eyes widened, and then narrowed as they latched onto Ruby's. "Why?"

"Well, uh-" Ruby began, "After you left the bathroom last night, she came out of a stall and invited me to this party thing she's holding next week I guess? I mean, Blake is coming with me and all, but neither one of us really know anything about fashion or what to wear and what to expect, or how to act, or what to eat, or what to say or what-"

"I'm going to cut you off right there, Ruby." Weiss interrupted before turning to the short woman beside her. "Neo, go find dresses for these two," she commanded. Neo bowed before turning and departing. "Cinder personally invited you?" Weiss reiterated, a bit of jovial disbelief laced in her voice.

Ruby nodded. "She said something about a partnership. I didn't really want to say no; she kind of scared me. Still scares me, actually, to be completely honest." she admitted, eyes cast down to avoid Weiss' judging gaze. "Are you going to be there? It'd be nice knowing Blake and I aren't in a room full of total strangers."

"Yes, I will be there. Although, all things considered, Ruby, we _are_ total strangers," Weiss stated bluntly, the bit of annoyance in her tone not passing under the radar.

Blake let out a small chuckle. "You mean an awkward encounter doesn't qualify two people as best friends? Worked for Yang and I," she joked with a grin, playfully shoving Ruby with her elbow.

"A friend of mine always says that strangers are just friends you haven't met yet," Ruby added, voice full of optimism as she offered a small smile at Weiss.

Rolling her eyes, Weiss crossed her arms and rested her chin on the back of her hand. "Do they really say something that naïve?"

"Well," Ruby said, holding her hands behind her back and shrugging, "his mom says that, but he says it a lot. Don't worry, Weiss!" she exclaimed, closing the distance between them and wrapping an arm around her. "Before long, you'll be like 'Wow! That Ruby girl is really, really cool . . . and I want to be her friend!'"

Weiss' eyes shifted from Ruby's hopeful face over toward Blake, and then back at Ruby. "You want to paint our nails, try on clothes, and talk about cute boys while we're at it?" Sarcasm dripping off of every word, a scowl forming on her face with every passing moment. "Please let go of me. And learn about personal space, dunce."

Ruby obeyed, dropping her arm and rejoining Blake's side. Her mood had taken a bit of a hit, and it reflected on her face. Noticing, Blake gave Ruby a reassuring pat on the back. "Don't be so dramatic," Blake snapped at Weiss, eyes narrowed, "Ruby can get a little excitable, but that doesn't warrant insulting her." The same tension from before began to build. Before anything else could be said, however, Neo returned. With a bow, she extended two dresses toward Blake and Ruby.

"Thank you, Neo." Weiss commented, nodding toward the dresses and gesturing toward the dressing rooms. "Try them on. I'll wait out here. If you don't like them, I'll have Neo find more."

Blake was wary at first, but eventually accepted a dress from the short girl. She looked back at Ruby with a small, reassuring smile as the two entered the dressing rooms.

* * *

Weiss let out a small sigh as she leaned against the wall next to the dressing rooms. Her day had been going fairly well so far, it wasn't very often that she was able to leave the house without the company of her parents. Because of the fact, she was pleasantly surprised to find out that she had free reign by herself when it came to preparing for Cinder's party when the invitation was delivered earlier in the morning. However, she was not completely alone. Her parents had insisted on having Neo tag along, though Weiss did not particularly mind it. Neo didn't speak, and did what she was told.

The one thing that Weiss did mind was being surprised by Ruby. Ever since the graduation ceremony last night, the girl's silver eyes had been on the back of her mind regardless of what she did to rid it. Even going as far to avoid eye contact with her when they were both in the bathroom, and when Weiss was coming out of the dressing room. She was afraid that if she were to look into them again, she wouldn't be able to look away. If Weiss were to be completely honest with herself, she didn't even know why she was helping Ruby and Blake with their clothes for Cinder's soiree. Maybe a part of her, despite the disbelief that someone like Ruby would even be invited to such an event, was excited seeing her again.

And maybe she had been a bit harsh with berating Ruby in the bathroom, and then again when she wrapped her arm around her. If Weiss were to continue being honest with herself, she didn't necessarily dislike the contact. Ruby was warm, but not solely in a physical sense. Weiss didn't know how to explain it, but she found herself grinding her teeth at the lack of answers. Before she could manage anymore dental damage, the first dressing room door opened.

Out walked Blake, donned in a fairly simple deep purple dress. The sweetheart neckline helped to enunciate her already pronounced features without putting too much on display. In place of sleeves were a mesh material that covered her shoulders and the tops of her arms. The dress was completed with a silken black belt across her stomach, tied in a bow that matched the one she wore on her head. All in all, Weiss thought Neo made a good choice. "What do you think?" Weiss asked.

Smoothing out the bottom of the dress and straightening the belt, Blake twisted a bit. "I'm surprised it fits me as well as it does. Don't get me wrong, though; I like it." she admitted, the smallest of smiles forming on her face.

"Neo always has had an eye for fashion," Weiss stated as Neo nodded in confirmation, adding a playful salute.

Taking a step forward, Blake knocked on the other dressing room door. "Everything alright, Ruby?"

"Uh-" her voice came from the other side of the door, somewhat strained. "Yeah, but I feel kind of naked."

Blake chuckled as Weiss tentatively looked over toward Neo, who responded with a cheeky grin. "You're not actually naked, are you?" Blake asked as the door slowly opened. When Ruby finally came out, her face was a red that could rival the deep tones of her dress. It had a halter neckline, and was sleeveless. The dress extended down to her ankles, and fit snugly.

Weiss never would have guessed it at first glance, but Ruby did have a few noticeable curves. "Why do you feel naked?" she asked, not really sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

Ruby's chin immediately hit her chest and she covered her face with her hands. After a small nudge by Blake, she slowly turned around to reveal how little fabric was covering her back. As a matter of fact, there was no fabric. The dress was entirely backless, and Weiss was able to feel her face begin to warm. In addition to the stunning curves, Ruby's back was also surprisingly toned. It would be safe to assume that she had played some sort of sport in high school.

"Uh-" Blake began, clearing her throat before she continued, "I notice how there's a lack of a bra strap."

"You mean I wasn't supposed to take it off?" Ruby questioned, her voice muffled from her hands still covering her face.

The rising heat was definitely starting to be a problem for Weiss; at this rate she'd start to sweat. She looked over toward Neo, only to find her staring right back with a shit-eating grin. "Not for just trying it on, no," Weiss said, "but you will need a strapless bra, or one with transparent straps if you plan on wearing that dress." Weiss swallowed, thankful she didn't stutter.

Turning Ruby back around, Blake gave a small shrug. "I think it looks good on you, but bringing a jacket might be a good idea. It looks kind of cold."

"It is." Ruby confirmed, the deep shade of red on her face not showing any signs of letting up.

With a raised eyebrow, Weiss looked over toward Neo again, the grin on her face still at full force. "Does that dress come in a fully backed version?" she asked, the grin on Neo's lips fading as she nodded with a small, defeated huff. "Please go get it," Weiss muttered, Neo bowed and obeyed.

It wasn't long before Neo returned with a similar version of the dress, one that wasn't backless. Once Blake and Ruby had changed back into their normal clothes, they made their way toward the register to pay. Weiss watched them the entire time, the two of them laughing and smiling with each other. Her eyes were drawn toward Ruby more so than Blake, however. The way the short haired brunette would move, talk, laugh. Every action she did made her glow, and suddenly, Weiss felt a bit of regret form in her chest. Remembering the way she scolded Ruby in the bathroom last night and again less than an hour ago, it didn't sit right with her. She wanted to speak up, but she couldn't find her voice. A strange sensation somewhere between her chest and throat prevented it. As the two were about to leave the boutique, Weiss ran up toward the pair and lightly tugged on the back of Ruby's hoodie.

Realizing what she had done, Weiss quickly composed herself as the two turned to face her. The silver eyes of Ruby threatening to catch and entrance her, Weiss decided to use the slight height advantage she had to look over her in hopes of escaping the silver traps. "I would like to apologize," she stated, shutting her eyes for a brief moment and catching her breath. "For snapping at you last night and again earlier."

A toothy grin formed on Ruby's face, and Weiss could feel her rapidly pounding heart slow down to a dull, consistent thump. "You didn't need to", Ruby said, "but it's alright."

The smile on Ruby's face was contagious, a small one threatening to form on Weiss' own lips. "I will see both you and Blake at Cinder's party," she said, "and I promise I will try to be. . . nicer." Before either girl could say anything in return, Weiss nodded her head with a muttered goodbye before turning and hurrying back to Neo.

After catching her breath again, Weiss realized what she had done. Not only had she felt regret for someone she didn't even know, but she also apologized. Ran to apologize, even. Should her mother have been anywhere near her, she would have received a scolding worthy of writing in the history books. With a deep breath, she shut her eyes for another brief moment. "Don't tell anyone you saw that," she threatened Neo, who merely dragged her fingers across her lips to signify that they were sealed.


	4. Nest

**A/N:** "Hopefully it won't be _too_ long before the next update" Ended up shitting the bed there, didn't I?

Anyway, Overwatch has consumed my life and I'm going on a trip in a couple days for a bit and didn't want to have you guys go _two_ months without an update. So, I split this part off what I had finished of the main body of the chapter and decided it stood well enough on its own for a quick, short update. Rest assured, I am still working on Cinder's party, it's just slow. However, I won't be able to write while on the trip so it'll probably be another late update.

Thanks again to anonofthecentury for her beta work, and for y'all readers for the patience.

Enjoy!

* * *

Weiss awoke on the morning of Cinder's soiree, her eyelids slowly fluttering open and squinting as beams of sunlight cast their way into her room through the silk curtains. With a groan, she entered a deep, although brief stretch before casting off her silk sheets and eiderdown comforter. The blindingly pristine white carpet was warm under her feet as she sat up, wiping the sleep from her eyes. With a slow exhale, she stood and made her way toward the bathroom attached to her room. As with everything else associated with the Schnee name, the bathroom was also done in the purest white that money could buy. The only hint of any other color was the silver faucets, but even those were accented with ivory.

Stopping in front of the sink, she reached into a nearby cabinet to grab her toothbrush and toothpaste. As she was about to turn away, she caught a glance of herself in the mirror. Weiss always knew that nobody looked their best first thing in the morning, but she couldn't help but be taken back. From sleeping with it down, her hair was much too disheveled for her tastes. Stray strands sticking out here and there, the slight curls at the ends threatening to tangle into knots. Though that wasn't Weiss' main concern, she realized, as she found herself focusing on the expression on her face. Furrowed brows combined with a downturn on the corners of her lips did not exactly paint a wonderful picture.

Not wishing to put herself in a bad mood, her eyes shifted from her face and found themselves. Among her pale tone and her snow white hair were the two pools of cerulean, covered in a slight sleep-awoken glaze as she was still waking up. In every book Weiss had read, she always liked to imagine eyes as something beautiful, the windows to the soul like authors would describe. Shining, deep, something that someone could both lose and find themselves in. Full of life, hope, or even sadness depending on the persons mood. And yet, to Weiss, her own represented none of that. They were just blue, no depth to them at all. Empty, as if there was no real life behind them. Cold.

Her hand rose and found the deep pink scar that ran down her left eye. Her teeth started to grind together. The downturned corners of her lips turned to a scowl. In the midst of all of her perfect features was that scar. A permanent, physical reminder of the things that she wouldn't – and couldn't – be. Feeling a pressure beginning to build behind her eyes, she blinked out of her staring contest and sucked in a sharp breath, letting it out with an irregular huff. Deciding she had had enough self-loathing for the day, she slammed the palm of her hand on the sink countertop with a grunt before turning and entering the adjacent shower.

Weiss was quick to finish her business, exiting the bathroom as she dried and dressed herself. The covers on her bed had been made, restored to a pristine condition. She never heard a maid enter the room, but she preferred it that way. Making her way to the large vanity across from the bed, she picked up a scrunchie with one hand and a brush with the other. Inwardly groaning as she stood in front of the mirror, she started to brush out her hair, the soft bristles gently untangling the ivory strands. Weiss even found herself in a strange sense of peace she rarely ever found, so she shut her eyes, allowing herself to go through the repetitions.

However, her concentration broke when she heard her door open. Opening her eyes, her grip on the brush's ivory handle tightened when she found her father standing in the doorway through the corner of her vision. Standing tall and imposing, his eyes scanned the room before coming across Weiss. "Good morning, father," Weiss said with a slight bow.

"Do you have a plan?" His voice was stern, taut.

Weiss could feel his crushing, nearly oppressive gaze on her. She didn't look directly at him, she didn't dare to. Though his voice sounded what was considered neutral for him, she knew it could easily be masking a threat. "Cinder would be foolish not to accept anything I offer; otherwise the Fall Corporation would completely go under."

Raureif shook his head, taking a drink from the glass in his hand. If Weiss knew anything about her father, she'd wager it was probably some sort of alcohol. "You mustn't underestimate her, Weiss," he said. "Animals tend to fight the hardest when they're backed into a corner." Although the words sounded like advice, the tone made it sound more like a scolding.

"I understand, father." Weiss replied, placing the brush onto the vanity as she began to pull her hair into a ponytail.

"I hope that you do," he stated, taking another drink from the glass. "Furthermore, I will not require Neo, or any other of the help, to accompany you tonight. Aside from transportation, you will have no assistance from me or the house."

Weiss knew exactly what those words meant. That was the official start of her test. With no outside assistance, she would be left to her own devices to bring about the downfall of their rival corporation. It was her father's way of pushing a baby bird out of its nest; either they succeed and fly, or they fail, and fall. To prove herself capable of carrying the Schnee name and title of heiress, or be destined to never achieve anything beyond normalcy. Weiss refused to be second-rate or inadequate. The hard thumping in her chest only reminding herself of the drive. "I won't disappoint," she stated. Her father gave the slightest nod, and he departed.

Though, Weiss began to doubt her own words. She didn't know whether or not she would disappoint, but she _couldn't_. She couldn't have gone through years of private education, lessons, and business practices to end up failing in the endeavor that would define the rest of her life. With no other choice than to succeed, she knew she just couldn't risk considering the option where she didn't. Finishing with her hair, she tugged at the ponytail to set it tight and let out a small breath she didn't realize she was holding. The hard expression staring back at her in the mirror could only remind her of the inner turmoil that began to bubble within her.

If Weiss were to be honest with herself, she hated mirrors. They reminded her of herself.


	5. Ember

**A/N:** Remember last chapter when I said I didn't wan't y'all going two months without an update? And then proceeded to have y'all wait _three_ for this chapter? Yeah. But, it's finally here. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, and many, many thanks once again to anonofthecentury for her beta work.

And y'all for reading, commenting, and having patience.

Enjoy!

* * *

The growing pit in Ruby's stomach was causing her to regret accepting Cinder's invitation. It wasn't an immediate reaction though. She was actually excited for the entire drive across town and into the countryside. She never even knew anyone lived in the area; though the large walls that surrounded her destination made her wonder how she could ever miss them. As the car inched its way toward the imposing gate, they were waved over by a young looking man on the sidewalk. He wore what appeared to be formal attire, an emblem sewn on the white vest that appeared to be two burgundy designs that created a heart from the blank space between. With a quick glance toward Ruby, Blake pulled up the sidewalk and rolled the window down.

"Can I help you?" Blake tentative asked, tentative. The man cocked an eyebrow and scratched the back of his head.

"Valet service, ma'am," he said, reaching toward the door handle. His eyes ran over the car and the women inside of it, his expression appearing confused in a condescending sort of way, as if he expected more. Something brighter, flashier, more expensive.

Ruby wasn't always the most perceptive person, but it was very clear to her how her and Blake didn't, and wouldn't, fit in past the gates. As the two stepped out of the car and Blake handed the keys to the man, the gates opened and they were greeted by another gentleman in a similar outfit of the one before.

"Ruby Rose and Blake Belladonna," he read, looking up from a clipboard in his hands. "Hope you two have fun in there, I'll be out here all night reading names off a clipboard. It doesn't even have pictures, how boring is that?" With an exasperated sigh, he ran his free hand through his gray hair and gestured behind him.

Ruby blinks. What was behind the man could in no way be called just a house. Not even a mansion. To Ruby, the building looked more like a castle, or even a fortress. She knew it'd be big from the bits of it she was able to see from the other side of the walls, but it was so much more without the obstruction. A number of balconies could be counted, and every window appeared to be stained glass.

She and Blake nodded toward the man and began their way down the cobblestone path lined on either side with neatly trimmed, decorative trees. Though there was something else about the building aside from the lavish design that caused Ruby's discomfort to worsen. Everything looked to have a similar color palette. The near-black gray cobblestone underneath her, the dark shades of the wood on building itself were present in the windows in shades of red and orange, a dull shine to them from the lights on behind. Even the trees and shrubbery to her sides had a dark tinge to them, as if they were forever locked in the end of autumn. It all felt oppressive somehow, and she couldn't explain why. She wished she could, just so she could ask Blake if she felt the same.

It wasn't until the pair made it to the large, multi-tiered fountain in front of the building that they begin to hear noise from within. And as they made their way around it, the double doors that stood in front of them opened in tandem. A woman with pastel green hair stood in the entranceway, a taut smile stretching her lips. Her attire wasn't too different from the man they had met before.

"Well, if it isn't you two," the woman said. "Couldn't really get started without you."

Blake's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry, but have we met before?" she asked, a slight bow to her head.

"No," the stranger admitted, taking a small step to the side and leaning on the doorframe. "But Cinder -" she shut her eyes for a brief moment and shook her head. "I'm sorry, Ms. Fall," she corrected, "has spoken of you. Whatever you've done to catch her attention has her excited."

Before anything more could be said, the woman in front of them waved her hand dismissively and gestured them into the building. To very little surprise, the colors on the inside matched those dreary ones on the outside. The only real difference being the dark marble flooring instead of the cobblestone walkway outside. The entranceway doubled as a large foyer; a massive spiral staircase taking up the majority of the area of the room.

"Go around the staircase," the stranger instructed, pointing. "There will be a hall on your left. At the end of the hall is the ballroom."

Ruby had heard the voice from behind her, but when she turned around to thank the woman she was nowhere to be found. She and Blake had made it across the staircase without a word between them, unease etched into the curvature of their spines. The closer they were getting to the ballroom entrance, the louder the sounds from within became. Though the only thing Ruby heard was the clacking of her and Blake's shoes against the hard flooring. It echoed, bouncing off of the walls and ringing in her ears. Her chest felt tighter with every step, her breaths becoming shallow, afraid her exhales would somehow disturb the pristine sheen of the paintings adorning the long hall.

"I feel it too, Ruby," Blake murmured, her strides becoming lighter, her eyes darting between the walls. "It might be beautiful, but it's hard to imagine anyone could consider this a home."

Ruby could only nod in agreement. From the burgundy of the walls to the last fading vestiges of sunlight trying to shimmer through the windows, it all felt like it was suffocating her. After what felt like an eternity, they did eventually make it to the ballroom doors, large and imposing, just like everything else in and about the house. Voices could be heard muffled through the wood, though they only registered as white noise. She reached her hand out to open the door, but her fingers stopped short no more than an inch from the handle. Her skin didn't need to touch the metal in order to feel the chill coming off of it, freezing her in place. If she tried hard enough, she may have been able to make out her distorted reflection in what she assumed to be actual gold. Ruby didn't know why she couldn't just reach out and open the door, and it took most of her effort to try to stop her fingers from trembling. Was it from excitement, fear, or something else?

Blake cleared her throat, knocking Ruby out of her stupor. "We can leave as soon as we finish hearing whatever it is Cinder has to say, if you'd like," she offered, laying a reassuring hand over Ruby's shoulder.

"I don't know, I guess we'll see how it goes?" Ruby laughs, although it sounds more like a nervous hiccup, more for herself than to Blake. Before she could think herself into another paralysis, Ruby's eyelids slammed together, her hands grasped the handle, and she pushed her weight into the door.

And slammed her forehead into the wood with a loud _thud_ that echoed throughout the hall. After a brief moment of numbness, a dull pain began to rise along with the blood rushing to the point of impact. "Wow, I definitely think that's going to bruise," Ruby muttered, her hands reaching up to her forehead. She didn't feel any swelling yet, but she knew it would soon.

After stifling a giggle, Blake turned her friend around and pulled her hands away from her forehead to look at the injury. "Are you okay?" Blake asked, bringing her own hand to the red mark now adorning the center of the brunette's temple after she nodded. "You're right, it's probably going to bruise. Sorry."

Meeting some fancy upper class businesswoman with a bruise on her forehead was definitely not on Ruby's bucket list, but maybe if she were lucky, she'd be able to talk to Cinder first before the injury started to swell and change colors. "Why didn't you tell me it was a pull door and not a push door?" Ruby whined, "Embarrassing myself wasn't on the agenda tonight."

"Look at the hinges," Blake replied, gesturing toward the doorframe, "Rhey're pointed toward us, it should have told you that it was a pull door."

After noticing the hinges, Ruby sighed to herself. "Yeah, you're right," she utters. "Totally my fault for not paying attention, sorry."

"You know Yang is going to tease you endlessly for that," Blake taunted, with a playful smirk.

Ruby groans. "Don't remind me," she wines. "You think she'd notice if I wear a hat and refuse to take it off for the next couple of days?" Ruby asked, even though she already knew it wouldn't work. Maybe she could just keep her bangs over it and hope that'd be enough.

A chuckle escaped Blake's lips. "Doubtful," she answered, "But it might be worth a shot." She doesn't mean a lick of it, Ruby can tell, but Blake is moving past Ruby and opening the door before Ruby can rebuttal.

The dulled sounds turned into an uproarious jumble of voices from the crowd within. Not a single pair of eyes found Blake or Ruby as they slipped their way into the ballroom. Much of the décor matched that of the rest of the house, the same gloomy colors were present. Burgundy and maroon curtains adorned the stained glass windows, matching the color of the cloths that covered the tables that lined the room. However, there were two aspects of the room that demanded and ripped Ruby's attention from anything else. First was the double staircase encasing the whole of the room, the gold trimming on the railing the only bright color in the sea of melancholic shades. At the center apex of the staircase was a small balcony, and on that balcony a single chair that sat a single person. Ruby could only assume it was Cinder, though the figure was too far away to make out for certain.

The second item that stole Ruby's attention was the colossal, grand chandelier that descended from the ceiling, supplying the only light for the room. The least surprising feature was the fact that the glass that made up its form was a darker color, no different from anything else in the room, house, or property. The light in the chandelier's center shone through, catching in the surrounding glass and dispersing it in an effect that made it appear as if it were floating. It absolutely dwarfed Ruby, in every sense of the word.

"You think she's over compensating for something?" Blake whispered only to Ruby, brushing her with her elbow.

Ruby snickered. "You sound like my sister," she jests, trying her best to find a path through the crowd that could lead them closer a staircase and, to who Ruby believes is Cinder. "You think that's her on that balcony thing?" Ruby asked, wanting to confirm her idea before enacting a – potentially – embarrassing plan.

Blake shrugged, her eyes narrowing as they scanned the crowd before her. "I'm not sure," she admits. "I've never seen her before."

"Oh, but I've seen you before," a voice purrs from behind them, words gliding through the air and sending a chill down Ruby's spine. Despite only meeting once, this was a voice Ruby could never forget, even if she tried.

Nearly stumbling as she turned on her heel, Ruby desperately attempted to calm her increasing heartbeat and bowed her head. "Well, fancy meeting you here, uh - " Ruby found a spot on the ground and glued her eyes on it, not wanting to risk eye contact. "At your . . . your house." Mentally berating herself, she clasped her hands in front of her and dug her nails into her skin.

The corner of Cinder's lips upturned, nodding toward Ruby and Blake in turn. "Ms. Rose," she greets, "Ms. Belladonna."

"You know me," Blake said, her eyes narrowing once again, "but I don't know a single thing about you." She finished, extending her hand. "Care to enlighten me?"

Cinder's eyes flicked down toward Blake's hand, and then back to her eyes. "Cinder Fall. I'm glad the two of you could make it," she said and gestured toward a set of stairs, "Walk with me."

The ascent up the stairs was silent, though Ruby did notice the rare pair of eyes from the bottom floor would glance up toward the trio. In addition, Blake started to appear more and more tense with every step. Her steps became rigid, her grip on the handrail tighter. Ruby herself wasn't exactly what she could call calm in this situation, she had already embarrassed herself once in front of Cinder, but her own discomfort paled in comparison to Blake's. By the time they reached the top of the stairs, the slight burning in her calves thanked her for choosing to wear flats instead of heels again.

Cinder directed them toward a private table behind the chair that sat on the balcony. It matched the tables on the lower floor, set for three people. "Tell me about this book of yours," she said, taking her seat. It doesn't sound like a request. "It has caught my interest, and I'd _love_ to hear more about it."

The near inhuman smoothness in Cinder's voice made it impossible for Ruby to tell if she was genuinely serious, or if she was being condescending. Taking her own seat, Ruby noticed the same hard, narrow-eyed expression on Blake's face had yet to fade. Though not the most reassuring sign, it appeared like Blake was going to keep her mouth shut, for now. Taking a deep breath, Ruby looked back toward the expectant Cinder and tried her best to put on a smile. "I-it's about four maidens," she started, voice on the brink of shaking, "they're given these awesome powers and dedicate their lives to fighting the forces of evil in the world."

"What makes it any different from any of the other superhero movies and books out there?" Cinder asked, a tinge of condescension lacing her words, "there's a reason your book has become as wildly popular as it has. What is that reason?"

"W-well," Ruby stuttered, looking back over toward Blake for any kind of respite, but coming up empty-handed, "Blake is a really, really good writer a-and we just kind of bounced off of each other until - "

"Please don't oversell me, Ruby," Blake finally broke her silence, though her stern expression remained unchanged. "We both put equal work into the book."

"I've yet to see what makes it so special," Cinder said. She shifts in her seat, leaning back and resting her chin on the back of her hand. "A superhero book. A well written one, but still a superhero book." Every word sounded less and less interested. "How many of those are collecting dust on shelves of countless libraries already?"

"I'm not so sure if I'd call them superheroes," Blake spoke up, "they have powers, yes, but its set in the fantasy world of Remnant, full of magic and evil who would seek to use those powers for their own personal gains."

"I still get the feeling there's something about it neither of you are telling me. This book cannot stay on shelves, why?" Cinder barked back, leaning forward on her elbows.

The air was becoming thicker and thicker with tension, Cinder and Blake refusing to avert their gazes from each other's eyes. Ruby could count on one hand all the times she's seen Blake angry, but her normal calm disposition was all but gone now, and Ruby had no idea why. To her, Cinder never said anything that could be considered insulting or worth getting defensive over. Subconsciously, Ruby had begun playing with the fabric of her dress underneath the table. If this went on for much longer, she was afraid she'd eventually have to grab Blake and high-tail it out of here.

"We put our hearts and soul into this book," Blake retorted, leaning forward to match Cinder. "Readers obviously see this and so they buy it. What about that is so hard to understand that you're belittling our efforts?"

A scowl had begun to form on Cinder's face, only to be matched in equal ferocity by the woman seated in front of her. Cinder then shut her eyes, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she sat back in her chair. "Very well. You have passion, and I respect that," she admitted, reaching underneath the table and pulling out a white envelope. On the front of it was a peculiar emblem that Ruby didn't recognize, but noticed that it was also present on different items throughout the house. If she had to guess, it was probably some sort of company logo. Cinder, while never looking away from Blake, placed the envelope on the table and slid it toward Ruby. "Get back to me by the end of the month," she started, "you're both free to stay as long as you wish, but do be sure to not overstay your welcome."

It took most of her willpower to stop her hands from shaking as Ruby accepted the envelope, holding it in her lap. She looked back up toward Cinder and nodded, shifting her attention toward the thumping of her own heartbeat against her chest that resonated in her eardrums.

And almost as quickly as she had appeared, Cinder was gone.

With Cinder gone, Ruby turned her head toward her friend, the scowl on her face still present as she stared at the spot Cinder once sat. "Are you okay?" Ruby asked as loud as she dared.

Blake shut her eyes and let out a long exhale. She reached her arms under the table to smooth out her dress. "I'm fine," she clips.

"Are you s - "

"Yes, Ruby, okay." Blake snapped, causing Ruby to jump back a little. Blake looked over toward Ruby and let out another exhale. "I'm sorry," she apologizes, "I just can't believe she'd invite us out here just to belittle and patronize us," she reveals, disgust hanging off of her words.

Ruby had opened her mouth to say more and at least attempt to comfort her friend, but was cut short when Blake stood from her seat. "I'm going back to the car, maybe call your sister and rant to her. Meet me there whenever you're ready to leave."

And just like that, Ruby sat alone at the table.

Rube sighed, and stretched her neck to look over the balcony, the bottom floor looked like more and more people were still showing up. It was evident that the party wasn't ending anytime soon, but Ruby didn't have any reason left to stay. Her idea of fun wasn't walking around a mansion with rooms full of people she didn't know, and were probably judging her for not being in the same social circles.

There was one thing she definitely had to do first before leaving, however. The longer she sat alone at the table, the pressure on her bladder only built. She had to find a bathroom.

Across from her side of the table was a hallway. Whether or not it contained a bathroom was unknown, but Ruby wasn't a big fan of the idea of wading through the crowd at the bottom of the staircase at that very moment. Standing from her seat and making her way toward the hall. The same colors, the same decorations, and the same oppressive feeling the rest of the house had. Surprise. But this time, she didn't have Blake at her side. Swallowing hard, Ruby knew this was probably going to be one of the most terrifying searches for a bathroom she'd have to go through.

She stepped lightly as to not disturb any of the pristine stillness of the hall. The sounds of the crowd began to diminish into a dull roar, the noise being replaced by her own footsteps and breaths. Why could she hear her own breaths? Was she really breathing that heavily?

Maybe it was just the hall playing tricks on her, or just the house in general.

Having Blake by her side again would definitely hold the second spot on her wish-list at that very moment. She was probably back at the car again by now, midway through a conversation with Yang over how upset she got with Cinder. Which, if Ruby were to be honest, she still didn't fully understand why Blake took the things the hostess said so seriously. Not to say that Blake is wrong in feeling the way she does, but Ruby didn't think Cinder meant to be insulting. At least, she hoped she didn't.

Ruby's grip tightened on the envelope she held behind her, nails threatening to rip into the paper. Regardless of how disinterested Cinder seemed, she did offer them _something,_ whatever that 'something' is. Ruby doubted Cinder would hand off a letter in an envelope full of nothing but insults. If she really wanted to insult them, she would've just said it. Probably.

Ruby could only sigh to herself, there was a lot she didn't know or understand. Maybe she'd be surprised and whatever is in the envelope would actually be a good thing.

Continuing down the hall, Ruby found herself turning down a corner. Much of the next hall was still no surprise, but what definitely did surprise her was finding an open entrance to one of the building's many balconies at the end of the hall. Though it wasn't exactly the balcony itself that took her by surprise, rather the figure she found standing on the far end. The only bright color in the entire house of melancholy, dressed in a pure white which hugged her form and hung off her shoulders that could only be outshined by her hair, tied in a side ponytail. It looked like she was actually shining between the night sky and the darkness of the building. The smallest of grins began to stretch across Ruby's lips. This was definitely Weiss, it had to be.

As soft as she could, Ruby made her way to the balcony. Upon leaving the enclosed interior of the bulding, the feeling of relief was almost instant. She felt like she could actually breathe again, the weight on her chest disappearing, carried away by the soft breeze of the evening. She didn't think Weiss noticed her, but then she was caught in a dilemma. Did she want to surprise this near-stranger, and subject herself to whatever her reaction may be? Or maybe call out to her and announce her presence? But what would she say? Ruby didn't exactly have an impressive track record of meetings with the girl. Going three for three for botched meetings wasn't how she wanted to start what she hoped to be a new friendship. Maybe it actually would be a better idea to not say anything at all and just leave. If Weiss wanted to see her, surely she would have–

"Are you going to stand around all night or will you actually say or do something?" Weiss spoke, though the tenseness of her voice that Ruby had known the past two times they've met wasn't as apparent.

Ruby sucked in a sharp inhale, taking a half step back. "I didn't r-really want to surprise you out of the blue, but also didn't want to just walk up and awkwardly start talking," she admitted, adding in a small chuckle to try and make her look not nearly as awkward as she felt.

Weiss never turned around, though she did extend an arm and gesture for Ruby to join her. "How long have you been here?" she asked.

Taking the couple steps forward to join Weiss, Ruby leaned over the balcony and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "An hour, maybe? It feels like forever though," she didn't realize it, but the balcony was much higher than Ruby had first thought. Looking over the edge threatened to make her queasy. "How about you?" she added.

"Too long," Weiss muttered, voice dipping into a whisper, "among other things, I've always found the dark colors of the Fall manor to be a little - "

"Oppressing? Depressing? Constricting?" Ruby interjected, but regretted it when she remembered who she was standing next to. She had been berated by the white haired woman before for lesser offenses than cutting her off.

To her surprise, Weiss let out the smallest of chuckles. "I was going to say tacky," she admitted, but your description works, too."

It was strange. From the very little Ruby knew of Weiss, she was always so rigid, for lack of a better term. The way she walked, the way she talked; it all just looked so uncomfortable from an outsider's perspective. Though when she laughed, albeit a small gesture, it almost painted her in a whole different light. Maybe she just caught her in a good mood, but Ruby didn't really care. For the first time, she felt like she could actually talk to Weiss.

"If I had known beforehand, I probably would have chosen a different color for a dress." Ruby admitted, lifting herself off of the banister and giving a small twirl. She honestly did find the dress to be beautiful, but she also felt like she blended in with the rest of the house.

For the first time that night, Weiss looked over toward Ruby. Her blue eyes started at the bottom and trailed their way up Ruby's form, but she looked away before they could make eye contact. Crossing her arms across her stomach, Weiss nodded to herself. "Don't let the house get to you. I knew that color would look good on you, and it does." Her eyes swiped back to the dress, "Nothing more, nothing less."

Ruby wasn't sure whether or not that was actually a compliment. Being looked over by Weiss made her feel like she was a part of a judging competition she never knew she was a part of, but earning the woman's approval did cause her heart to quicken. "Well, thank you." she replied, looking at Weiss and noting how the girl in front of her refused to do the same. Weiss looked over her, or to the sides, but not her face. It made her feel smaller than usual, a complete contrast to what she thought the mood between them conveyed. Ruby wanted to feel like progress was actually being made, but Weiss' unspoken refusal to look at her said otherwise.

Though there was something more that caught Ruby's attention. It was dim, the only lights coming from the hall behind them, but she could swear that Weiss' eyes were a little puffy. Were they always like that and she just hadn't noticed? It's not like they've seen a lot of each other for Ruby to really notice. Or maybe she had some sort of allergic reaction to the food being served in the ballroom? Or what if the cause behind it was the obvious, that Weiss had been crying beforehand? It would explain why she was off on the balcony by herself. The thought brought a small pain to Ruby's chest, and she wanted to ask. She needed to ask. "Hey, were you - "

"What are you holding?" Weiss interrupted, pointing toward the white envelope Ruby held in her hands.

Ruby blinked once. Twice. A third time. She had completely forgotten about that. The envelope and what could possibly be on the inside of it was now the only thought that was present in her mind as Weiss pointed it out. "Cinder gave it to me, but I haven't opened it yet," she said, handing the envelope to Weiss, "I was going to open it with Blake when we got back home."

A gentle hand took the letter from Ruby, Weiss brought it closer to her face and turned it around. Upon seeing the crest on the back of it, her eyes widened and began to shift. She looked over toward the entrance of the building and every window surrounding it before handing it back to Ruby without a word.

"Do yo - "

Weiss cut her off by placing her hand over her mouth. Her touch was much gentler than Ruby could have ever imagined, but it was also cold and sent a chill down her spine. She suddenly became very aware of her breathing and increasing heartbeat. Ruby shut her eyes tightly to try and bring herself under control. When Weiss pulled her hand away and Ruby opened her eyes, a part of her missed the contact. The lingering chill on her face fading quickly.

Holding up a single finger, Weiss reached into the small bag slung over her shoulder and pulled out her phone. After tapping on it for a moment, she reached forward and displayed the screen to Ruby. On the screen was an open notepad app. On it, read, 'Cinder has eyes and ears everywhere in this god forsaken manor. We need to talk about what's in that envelope, but we cannot do it here. What's your address?'

Ruby paused for a brief moment before reaching forward to take the phone. "Can I?" She asked. When Weiss nodded, Ruby gently took the phone and typed out her address on the line under Weiss' note. She handed the phone back to Weiss, who nodded to herself before placing her phone back into her purse.

"Tuesday. Two days from now," Weiss spoke, barely over a whisper, "I - "

For the first time that night, Weiss looked up and straight at Ruby. Her blue eyes met Ruby's and refused to look away. The woman across from her was frozen, and Ruby didn't know why. But she couldn't look away either. Whenever she'd try to, Weiss would demand her attention without ever saying a word. A small part of Ruby didn't really mind that, the blue globes glimmered from the dim lighting reflecting off of them and she found herself mesmerized to a degree. A sheen could be seen building up over them as the moments passed. Was she about to cry? Had she already cried before tonight? Asking Weiss about that completely slipped her mind, but at the moment, there was no way Ruby could muster the willpower to ask. She wanted nothing more than to wrap Weiss in a hug and ask if everything was alright. Though there'd be no feasible way Ruby could muster the confidence required to close the gap between them and touch her. Talking to her was hard enough, and at the very moment, just looking away was a challenge in and of itself. There was a certain beauty to Weiss' eyes, but, beyond that, Ruby couldn't help but think how sad they looked.

Weiss did eventually rip herself away, turning back toward the banister with a small shake of her head. For a fleeting moment, Ruby felt like a small piece of herself was missing, somehow. Many questions she wanted to ask in that very moment, but it would appear they would all have to wait as Weiss turned from the banister and started making her way toward the building.

"Give Blake my regards," Weiss said, her voice softer than Ruby could stand, on the verge of cracking. "I have to make a few phone calls, goodbye."

And just like that, she was gone, turned a corner not to be seen again until Tuesday. Ruby felt a pressure building behind her own eyelids, threatening to form into tears. But why? And why did it sound like Weiss was so sad? These were all questions that Ruby hoped would be answered eventually. She shook herself from the stupor and looked down at the envelope. The confusing emotions gave way to anxiety and nervousness. What could be in this envelope that would warrant Weiss herself coming over to the apartment?

Wait.

Weiss. Herself. Was coming to the apartment.

She had to tell Blake. Had to tell her everything.

After she found a bathroom.


End file.
